Method of making steel.



W, G. NICHOLS. METHOD OF MAKING STEEL. APPLICATION ITILBD FEB. 25.1914. I 1,100,905. Patented June 23; 1914 WITNESSES WESLEY e. NICHOLS, or cHIcAGo HEIGHTS, ILLINois.

METHOD or MAKING sTEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY G. NIoHoLs,

acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Steel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of making steel, and more particu-f larly to manganese steel, theobject being to provide an'econonncal and efiective method of producing such by utilizing or employing a large percentage of manganese steel scrap without material loss of its carbon and manganese content.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to devise a method f utilizing manganese steel scrap, but so far as I am aware, but with little or no success, the great ditliculty met- With being the fact that the high temperature to which the metals are subjected to obtain the necessary fluidity and amalgamation largely or wholly eliminating the manganese contained in the scrap, this loss oc curring, as I have learned by experiment, by feeding or introducing into abath of superheated decarbonized iron the manganese steel scrap, either cold or heated, or by flowing over the heated scrap a superheated charge of the iron. This error, and one into .which others have fallenl'l have corrected.

by subjecting each of the several metals, that is, the decarbonized iron, the ferro-manganese, and the manganese steel scrap, to its proper heat treatment, andthen finally and thoroughly combining or amalgamating them While in a molten condition, in a common receptacle,

Briefly stated, my process consists in melt-- ing in a furnace or converter a pre-determined quantity of decarbonized iron; in another furnace melting a predetermined quantity of manganese steel scrap, and in a third furnace melting a predetermined quantity of ferro-manganese. lVhen the metals are in readiness, each of-the same s drawn from its respective melting furnace into a port- Spcification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 23, 1914.

Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial at. 820,843.

ously heated to a high degree to avoid chilling or rapid cooling of the product. The making of'many hundreds of tons of steel by this process has conclusively proved its economy and effectiveness, the resultant metal being sound and of superior strength,

able ladle, or other suitable receptacle, previ- I toughness and hardness, and produced at a 1 cost materially less than by any of the Well or generally known processes of manufac-f ture.

More specifically described, my improved method consists in, melting a predetermined J quantity of decarbonized iron, in any suitable kind or type of furnace or converter,

the quantity of course, depending .on the re-- j quired amount of finished steel per heat, and the number of heats 'to be made for each 'dayscast, this quantity, however, approxi= nrating 55% of the total of finished product. 'lhis iron is to be heated to a temperature materially higher than that of the other metals, approximating 1650 (1, in order that the other metals may be treated at such a low degree of heat as to avoid any and all danger of the loss of the manganese con- 1 alloy will be brought to the proper tempera.

tent, yet when combined with the iron, the

i-ture by that of the superheated decarbonized iron. l Vhile this melting or converting of the decarbonized 110I1 is proceeding, I s1multaneously melt, in a separate furnace, a predetermined quantity of manganese steel scrap containing approximately 12% manganesefthe quantity of scrap being approxi-' 'mately 37 %of the total, the temperature, to

which the melt is brought being preferably about 1400 .G. This step of the process, that is, the melting of the scrap, is an important one, and upon it largely depends the economy of the process as well as the quality of. the resultant product; for this purpose any suitable furnace is provided, preferably one which is oil heated. This furnace may be constructed with a hearth above the melting zone or chamber, or, if desired, may be provided with two melting zones. In the former instance, the, cold manganese steel scrap is placed on the hearth at the rear of the melting zone, for the purpose of preheating it. the metal being brought to almost the i citing); point while the former charge o lui nzellcd. This is the beginning of the, critical ,s-la 'e of the melting operation, and

thereof, and r on the line "2 2 of l lg. l.

Referring to the drawings, 3-5 represent the ends of the furnace, provided with the oicninps or ports 66 for the passage of t )c flame ihcrcinto, 7 the bottom of the furnace, and S the arched top, the bricks com prising the latter being held in position by the cast steel clamps 9, and provided with the vents 9*. 'The interior of the furnace, as well. as the ports 6, is of course lined-with fire brick or suitable material used for like. purposes, the floor of the several chambers of the furnace being preferably concave in form. in the center of the furnace is constructed a bridge wall 10, extending from the floor to within. a short distance of the arch 8, thereby dividing the furnace into two melting Zones ll, l2,'each of which is provided with a charging door (not shown) respectively, and with a tapping hole 1.1. and 12" respectively, through and out of which latter the metal from either compartment may be tapped when desired. in the melting of the scrap in this furnace, the metal is fed into one of the compartmentis,

say con'ipartment 11, through a chars,inc;

door (not shown), it being understood, for purposes of description, that the compartment 12 contains the scrap in its melted condition. A portion ofihe heatof thc flame turned into this compartmont'ifi for melting the metal ihei'ein, passing over thebridge wall into com 'iartmcnt 11. is suilicient to preheat the scrap already fed thereintmend to bring it to almost the melting point.

lVhen the molten metal is ready to be tapped out of the compartment 12, through the hole 12 the flame through the port 6 is cut oil and turned into the compartment 11, containing" the pro-heated scrap, and compartment 12 then charged with cold scrap. The metal in compartment 11, when melted. is then tapped out, and the melting operation thus continued indefinitely.

il hile the above described furnace is of a convenient form for melting the manganese steel scrap, I do not intend to limit my process to its use. or to the use of any other- ,ioaaos particular form or structure of furnace, as such may be varied in accordance with the conditions existing in the particular foundry wherein this method is to be put into practice.

in melting the scrap, the slag generated by the oxidizing influence of the first and followingmeltings, is partly retained in the melting con'ipartment or zone of the furnace, with av portion of the fluid manganese steel scrap, for protecting the metal of the sub sequent meltings', the pro-heated scrap being thus immersed therein and protected from further oxidizing influences! As soon as the preheated scrap begins to melt, the flameis made as reducingas is consistent with the temperature,which should not only be main tained but slightly increased. As the metal passes into the molten condition, the manganese has a tendency to rapidly oxidize and form a heavy slag on the surface of the bath. This of course reduces the manganese content of the steel, and is a condition requiring immediate correction, in order to preserve the correct analysis of the final product. in this event, the manganese in the slag is driven out to again'be taken up by the steel, the reduction being effected by adding to the slag a, reducing agent, such as coal, COlIG, chz'ircoal, or any carbonaceous material, or silicon and aluminum, that will combine with the oxygen without having an injurious effect upon the steel. This added carbon, combining with the oxygen, held in combination with ihe manganese,passes from the furnace in the form of carbonic anhydrid gas, while the silicon and alirminum contained in the metal, and whose affinity for oxygen at the high temperatures of thefurnace is greater than that of manganese, are then'isclvcs oxidized, thereby reducing the ioxid of manganese to the metallic state or condition.

ll hile by other methods heretofore attempted for the utilization of manganese steel scrap inl'he'produclion of manganese steel, a metal has resulted too high in 'car hon, and consequently of poor quality, no such result follows from the present method. if, however. at any time should the carbon content of the scrap bocome too high, it may be reduced to its proper percentage by oxida- Lion of the carbon without oxidation of-the manganese. To effect this result, manganese ore, such as pyrolusite, hausmannitc, or any oxid of manganese is charged into the bath in proper quantity, the oxidation of the carbon being accompanied by reduction of the manganese from the ore,-the manganese being taken up by the metal.

li hile melting the decarbonized iron, and alsothe manganese steel scrap, ll also melt, in any suitable furnace, a. predetermined quantity of form-manganese, this quantity,

as I have learned from numerous experiments, being approximately 8% of the total,

that is 8% of term-manganese, containing about 80% of manganese and about .75 per cent. carbon at a temperature approximately 1350 C. When allthree of these separate melts are in readiness, each of the same,

' with as little delay as, possible, is tapped or heated, to a high degree of much the higher degree of heat. By thus throughout mixing the metals the most thorough dis-.

tributionof the manganese and carbon the bath is accomplished, although for convenience, at times,- Ihave first drawn the manganese steel scrap into the ladle, then the ferro-manganese, and

finally the decarbonized iron.

It will be understood from the foregoing that in my improved process I have at all times avoided subjecting the manganese steel scrap to temperatures sufliciently high to cause the elimination of the manganese con tent; in fact, without doctoring or treating the slag to drive back into the metal any of the manganese content therein, the molten scrap hasanalyzed from 8 to 10% manganese, the test metal being. taken from, the trough .while being tapped into the ladle.

Furthermore, by melting the three metals separately, and each at a temperature to preserve its constituents, and combining them while each is 111 a molten state, results 1n a product of excellent quality, superior even to I Would also ordinary manganese steel. have it clearly understood that while I have above mentioned the percentage of'decarbonized iron asapproximately 55% of i .the total, the manganese'steel scrap 37% of the total, and the ferromanganese 8% of the total, yet I do not confine my method to theseparticular figures, as I have, during my many experiments, produced excellent metal by utilizing49% of decarbonized iron,: 49% ofmanganese steel scrap, .and 2% of 'ferromanganese, and hence it will be seen that the relative proportions of the metals may be widely varied without in any way detracting from the quality of the finished product.

The gist of the invention lies in factthat the manganese steel scrap is melted in a separate furnace at a comparativel low degree of heat and subsequently combi ed with the decarbonized iron and ferromanganese, also melted in separate furnaces, the decarbonized iron being treated or melted at a much higher degree of temperature than the manganese steel scrap and the ferromanganese,

whereby to bring the scrap and. ferromanganese up to the proper temperature for pouring when combined with the decarbon-' ized iron. I would also'have it understood that I do not limit my invention to the emperature at which they are melted and com-' bined, being employed more particularly for castings which may be poured from metal having a comparatively low degree of temperature. In the production of this metal I melt the manganese steel scrap in everyway the same as before described, and add thereto from 3% to 4% of melted ferromanganese, the two metals being combined in a common receptacle previously heated, as in instances before described.

"What I claim is:

a 1. The method'of making manganese steel consisting in-melti'ng ,in separate furnaces decarbonized iron, manganese steel scrap,

and ferro-manganese, and then combining.

the molten metals in 'a common receptacle. 2. The method of-making manganese steel consisting in melting in separate furnaces deca-rbonized iron, manganese steel scrap, and ferro-manganese, and then combining them ina common receptacle while'the temperature of the decarbonizediron is in excess of that of the other of said metals.

3. The method of making manganese steelconsisting in heating in separate furnaces decarbonized iron to'a temperature of about 1650 (1, manganese steel scrap to a temperatureof about 1400 C., and ferro-manganese' to about 1350? 0., and combining ,them at approximately the above-mentioned temperatures in a common receptacle.

4. The process'of making manganese steel consisting in heating about 55% of decarbonized 1ron to a temperature approximating 1650 C., heating ne'se steel scrap containing about 12% manganese to a temperature approximating 1.400 (3., and heating about 8% of 80% ferro-manganese to a temperature approximating 1350 C., and combining the metals at approximately the above temperatures vin a common receptacle. t

5. The process of making manganese steel consisting in-combining with molten'decan' bonized iron and ferro-manga'nese, a quantity of manganese steel'scrap, melted in a separate furnace, and at a temperature lower than'that of the decarbonized iron;

6. The process of making manganese steel consisting in melting a quantity of manganese steel scrap, while protecting the same from oxidation and deca-rbonization by the ut 37% of manga slag and residue from the previous heat, I

sc rap with ferrwmanganese and With decarmtals melted and drawn from other furs bonized. iron melted 111 a sepamhe furnme names.

' and at a temperature in excess of that of Signed at Chiczigo Heights in thecounty said scrap of Cook and State of Illinois this Sthmlay of 7. The procsss of making, manganese steel .February A. D. 1914:.

consisting in melting manganese steel scrap i/VESLEY Gr. NIGHQLS. Y at a cmmpamtivelg low temperature, Wh-ilef iVitness'es: protested wi'tlithe Slam of the. previous melt, M. 1.. LA ZELLE,

and than c0mb511ing the molteilscmp with; CHARLES FANTSHORN. 

